Bobbin winder mechanism



Dec. 9, Q E CQLEGRQVE 2,432,138

BOBBIN WINDER MECHANISM Filed May 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m 6 E m( y R M M 5 R m m e r A w wl ,Q r M? w m w; 2. m

1947. c. E. COLEGROVE BOBBIN WINDER MECHANISM Filed May 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

M w. v r. a WW 5 N s R m m W Patentecl Dec. 9, 1947 BOBBIN WINDER MECHANISM Charles E. Coleg'rove, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to White Sewing Machine Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application May 14, 1945, Serial No. 593,734

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine which is of improved construction and design and in which the actuating mechanism for the bobbin winder is entirely enclosed and housed within the sewing machine head.

Another object is to provide an improved and novel bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine wherein the bobbin spindle of the mechanism is mounted on a fixed axis and does not move when the actuating mechanism for the spindle is brought into or out of operative relationship with respect to the drive for the bobbin winder mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin winder mechanism for use with a sewing machine that employs a belt extending from a motor driven pulley on the underside of the sewing machine bed plate to a pulley mounted on the main drive shaft in the upper horizontal arm section of the sewing machine and which bobbin winder mechanism is driven from said belt and is concealedtogether with the belt in the vertical column of the sewing machine arm.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin winder mechanism for use in sewingmachines which have a removable closure or cover plate for concealing the driving connection between a power source beneath the bed plate and the main drive shaft in the horizontal arm section of the sewing machine and which bobbin winder mechanism is mounted on and carried entirely by said closure or cover plate.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbefore specified will become apparent hereinafter during the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention which is to follow.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating said embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a sewing machine arm or head with certain portions broken away to disclose the bobbin winder mechanism.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the sewing machine head shown in Fig. 1, with a portion of the removable closure or cover plate broken away to show certain parts of the bobbin winder mechanism carried thereby, the parts of the bobbin winder mechanism being shown in their relationship during the operation of the bobbin winder mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with more away and with the parts of the bobbin winder mechanism shown in the relationship they occupy when the bobbin winder mechanism is not being operated, certain parts of the drive from the power source to the main drive shaft being omitted in this view as they form no part of the present invention, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view similar to Fig. 3 with the removable closure or cover plate shown in its entirety.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Fig. 1, the bobbin winder mechanism embodying the present invention is shown as applied to a sewing machine having a drive wherein a double belt is employed, but it should be understood that the present disclosure is merely by way of illustration and that the bobbin winder mechanism embodying the present invention could be applied to a sewing machine having a single belt drive or any other suitable drive.

The sewing machine disclosed comprises a bed plate It] having a head, gooseneck or arm indicated generally at B and including a vertical portion or column II and a horizontal portion l2, it being understood that said latter portion mounts at its free end the needle bar, pressure foot and other mechanism well understood in the art. The main drive or needle bar shaft I3 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the horizontal portion l2 of the arm and one of these bearings, indicated at M, is carried in a vertically extending web, transverse partition wall or side wall l5 of the column. The wall [5 provides a cavity in the end of the sewing machine arm and separates the belt drive mechanism to the main drive shaft [3 from the operative connections between the shaft 13 and the stitch forming mechanism of the sewing machine and which connections are in the vertical column. The main drive shaft [3 extends into the cavity referred to and beyond the bearing l4 and has fixed'thereto a flanged sleeve [6. An upper pulley I! is mounted for free rotation on the sleeve l6 and is provided in this instance with an integral hand wheel portion Ila. A nut I8 is screwed onto the threaded end of the sleeve l6 and contacts a washer l9 which in turn engages one or more balls 20 located between the washer l9 and a second washer 2| carried by the sleeve l6 and engaging one end of the hub of the upper pulley ll.

It will be seen that when the nut I8 is screwed onto the sleeve IS the hub of the upper pulley i! will be firmly held between the flange of the sleeve of the removable cover plate or closure broken and the washer 2| with afriction driving connec- A main drive m'otor 22 "is supported beneath the bed plate H3 and is connected preferably by a flex-- ible driving connection to a shaft 23 mounted in suitable bearings beneath the bed plate and has A supportin fixed thereto a small pulley 24. w bracket or plate 25 is adjustably mounted on the outer side of the partition wall |5 by"me'ans of- L rocks, said gear 4| will roll around the circumference of the gear 37.

It will also be seen that when the pulley 42 is in driving contact with the belt and is being 5 rotated thereby the gear 4| will drive the gear 31 to rotate the spindle 36 and the bobbin 39 which may be mounted thereon.

Thecov'er or closure plate 3| is provided with a hub through which a rock shaft 43' extends. 10 The rock shaft 43 exteriorly of the removable cover plate 3| has fixed thereto a finger 44 for apurpos -Jaterto be explained, see Figs. 2 and 4. The rock shaft 43 on the inner side of the cover pl'ate 3| has-fixed thereto one end of a threaded studs carried by said'wall and-"extending ;-1ver: arm 45 which projects outwardly of the through arcuate slots 26 in the oppo's'iteend's of the plate 25 and with the said studs-provided-with clamping nuts.

The supporting plate or bracket 25 carries a shaft on which is rotatably mounted a double pulley composed of a'large pulleyi 2|'and-a small pulley 28'. An endless belt29 extendsaroundthepulleys 24and'2'1 and a second endlessbelt 33 Theextends around i the pulleys 28 'and-= l1. construction thusfar described forms per seno part of the presentinve'ntion andn'eed-not'be more fully explained.

The cavity in the sewingma'chinearm outwardly of the partition'wall' |5is*enclo'sedby a removable cover or closure plate 3l'which is secured tothe sewing machine arm by suitable means such as removable securin'g screws; removable cover or closure plate-3| is shaped-to conform-to the configuration of the'sewing'machinearm and is provided' adjacent its upper end" with an opening which surrounds the-hand wheel portion Ila of the'uppei' pulleyll; as'indicated in Fig. 1', wherefore'when the securing screws or otherm'eans are removed the closure-or cover plate 3| can be bodily separated 'from'the sewing machine arm.

The bobbin winder mechanism embodying-thethe cavity between the latter and'the partition wall I5. I

The removable closure or cover plate 3| is provided with a hub 32which rockably mounts'a' sleeve 33'formed integral with a' bell crank lever L at the junction of the angunny'disposedarms 34 and 35 of said bell crank lever. A bobbin winder'spindle 35 is rotatably mounted in the sleeve 33 of the bell crank lever'L andsaid spindle has fixed toits inner end on the inner side of the plate 3|, i. e., its left hand end as viewed in Fig. l, a gear 3'|.' The right hand or ou'terend of thespindle 36 has fixed thereto a hub 38- which has a reduced portion onwhich the bobbin 39 can be mounted. I

The arm 34 of the rockable' bell crank lever L extendsupwardly and has fixedly-"mounted in its-free end a stud 43which" rotatably mounts a gear 4| that has a sleeve on which-is fixed' a drive element or pulley 42 for the'bobbin winder mechanism and-solocated'that-it can be brought into'operativecoritact'with the belt '30: The gear 4| meshes with'the gear 31- on' thespindle 36* and if/Will be seen that-When the bell ciahk level" The frontside of the'sewing machine through a suitable verticallyextending slot 46 at the joint between the cover plate 3| and the sewing machine arm The outer end of the lever arm is pro- 20 vided with a knob 41 which can be grasped by the operator when manually moving the lever arm 45.

A bell crank 48 is rockably mounted on the inside of the cover plate 3| on a stud 49 carried T-b'y=thecov'er' plateand said bell crank lever 48 ha's an arm 53 extending toward the rear of the sewing. machine, an'angular arm 5| extending in a generally upwardly direction and a short arm 52' extending toward the front of the sewing 0: machine; The arm 5| of the bell crank 48 is pro vided with a slot having a straight portion 53 and" an arcuate portion 54, the radius of which is struck from the center of shaft 43.

The lever arm 45 onits lower edge has a down- 3'5 wardly extending projection which is provided with a laterally extending pin-55'that projects into the slot in the arm 5| of the bell crank 48,

for a purpose later to be explained. The arm 52-of the bell crank 48 is connected to the lower 4o end of a tension spring 51, the upper end of which spring is connected to a fixed pin 58 carried'b'y the cover plate 3| and projecting from the inner'side of said plate. The spring 51 continuously tends to move the parts in a direction 4'5 such that the pulley 42 is moved out of engagement with the belt 30.

The'rear end'of the'arm of the bell crank 48 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a link 59" and said link is provided at its upper to endwith a longitudinally extending slot 60 which receives a pin' 6| carried by the rear end of the arm'35f of the bell crank L; in other words, the link 59 'is pivotally connected at its opposite ends with'the arms 50 and 35 of the bell cranks 48' and L, there being a lost motion connection between the link and the arm 35 due to the slot and pin 6|.

A compression spring 62 is mounted on the link 59 and has its lower endengaging an abutment plate that contacts the rear end of the arm 50, while the upper end of the spring 52 engages a slidable abutment plate which contacts the rear end of the arm 35. The compression spring 62 t'ends'to maintain the arms 59 and 35 and the 65' link 59 in the relationship shown in Fig. 2, that is,- there is provided an overtravel of the bell crank L beyond that which is required to cause the pulley 42 to move from inoperative position into contact with the belt 3|]. Th resilience of the spring 62 is such that the spring will begin tocompress immediately upon driving contact between the belt 30 and the pulley 42, irrespective of the position of the belt because of belt adju'stment or slackness. This arrangement pro- 7'5 v'ides for the proper functioning and movements"- of the bobbin winder mechanism regardless of the exact position of the driving belt 30.

When it is desired to operate the bobbin winder mechanism the nut l8 on the sleeve I6 is loosened to disconnect the friction driving engagement between the pulley I! and the sleeve l6 and main shaft l3. The parts of the bobbin winder mechanism should at this time be in their inoperative relationship as ShOWn in Fig. 3 and wherein the pulley 42 is out of engagement with the belt 35, the pin 55 is at the upper end of the straight portion 53 of the slot in the arm 5| and the lever arm 45 is in its upper position. The bobbin 39 is placed on the hub 38 on the bobbin spindle 35 and several turns of the thread 63 are made around the bobbin to cause the winding of the thread on the bobbin to start. The thread 63 extends from a spool of thread 65 which is mounted on a vertically extending spindle 65 projecting from the bed plate I and said thread passes from said spool through a thread guide 66 to the bobbin.

The lever arm 45 is moved from its upper position shown in Fig. 3 to its downward position shown in Fig. 2. This movement of the lever arm causes the pulley 152 to come into driving contact with the belt 35. As the lever arm 45 moves downwardly the pin 55 travels downwardly in the inclined straight portion 53 of the slot in the arm 5! of the bell crank 48, with a resultant rocking movement of the bell crank 48 in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in the drawings. This rocking movement of the bell crank 48 is imparted to the bell crank L through the compression spring 62 On the link 59 and said bell crank L rocks in a counterclockwise direction until the pulley 42 is in driving contact with the belt 30. The engagement of the pulley 52 with the belt 35 occurs approximately at the time that the pin 55 reaches the junction between the straight slot 53 and the arcuate slot 54, at which time the lever arm 45 has been moved only partially from the position shown in Fig. 3 toward the position shown in Fig. 2. The further down ward movement of the lever arm 45 causes the Pin 55 to travel toward the lower end of the arouate slot 54 and any further slight counterclockwise rocking movement imparted to the bell crank 48 by the movement of the pin 55 in the arcuate slot 54 results in a compression of the spring 62 and a relative movement of the pin 5! at the rear end of the arm 35 of the bell crank L downwardly in the slot 65 of the link 59. The spring 62 maintains the pulley in driving contact with the belt 30 under spring pres-sure. When the pin 55 is in the arcuate slot 54 it locks the bell crank 48 against rocking movement in a clockwise direction under the action of the tension spring 51, and hence the parts are maintained in the relationship wherein the pulley 42 is in driving engagement with the belt 30.

As the lever arm 45 is moved downwardly to cause the pin 55 to travel downwardly in the arcuate slot 54 the arm or pressure finger 44 fixed to the outer end of the shaft 43 rocks in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig. 2, at which latter time the finger or arm M contacts the barrel of the bobbin. The motor 22 may now be started to cause rotation of the pulleys 2d, 21, 28 and IT and movements of the belts 29 and 35 which extend around said pulleys. However, at this time the main shaft is will not be rotated as it will be recalled the driving connection between the pulley I! and said shaft is disengaged.

6 The movement of the belt 30 causes rotation of the pulley 42 and gear 5! with a resultant rotation of the gear 31, spindle 55, hub 38 and bobbin 39. As the bobbin rotates the thread 63 is wound thereon and as the thread begins to build up on the bobbin the arm or finger 45 moves in a clockwise direction and effects through the shaft 43 an upward movement of the lever arm 15 and an upward travel of the pin in the arcuate slot 54 of the bell crank 43. The parts are so adjusted that when the wound thread has moved the finger in a clockwise direction to an extent that the pin 55 enters the straight slot 53, then the bobbin is wound with the proper amount of thread. As soon as the pin 55 passes into the straight slot 53 the bell crank 58 is released for clockwise movement under the action of the tension spring 5! and, therefore, said spring functions to move the parts of the mechanism into the position shown in Fig. 3 and wherein the pulley 32 is disengaged from the belt 30 and the lever arm 55 is in its upper position. The disengagement of the pulley 52 from the belt 30 is automatic and is controlled by the amount of thread wound on the bobbin. It will be understood, however, that should the operator desire to disengage the pulley 52 from the belt 30 at any time during the winding process all that need be done is to manually move the lever arm 45 upwardly. As previously referred to the rocking of the bell crank L in either direction causes the gear ii to roll around the gear 31.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the bobbin winder mechanism is contained substantially entirely within the cavity of the sewing machine arm and is concealed by the cover plate 3!. It will also be noted that said mechanism is in its entirety carried by the cover plate 5! and moves as a unit therewith when said plate is detached from or applied to the sewing machine arm. In addition it will have been observed that the spindle 35 onwhich the bobbin is mounted is on a fixed axis and does not have any to and fro movement when the bobbin winder mechanism is rendered operative or inoperative.

as do the bobbin carrying spindles in the usual mechanisms of this character. It will further have been noted that the disengagement of the drive to the bobbin winder mechanism is automatic and is controlled by the thread being wound on the bobbin.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine. a support, a spindle adapted to mount the bobbin, means carried by said support for rotatably mounting said spindle therein on an axis fixed again-st lateral and endwise movements, means movably carried by said support and nonrotatable with said spindle and having a driving member adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a driving element of the sewing machine, operative connections between said driving member and said spindle, and means for moving said movably carried means to cause said engagementand disengagement of said driving member with respect to said driving element.

2. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine, a support, a spindle adapted to mount the bobbin, means carried by said support for rotatably mounting said spindle therein on an axis fixed against lateral and endwise movements,

means rockably carried by said support'and having a driving member adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a driving element of the sewing machine, operative connections between said driving member and said spindle, and means for rocking said rockably carried means to cause said engagement and disengagement of said driving member with respect to said driving element.

3. -In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine, a support, a spindle adapted to mount the bobbin, means carried by said support for rotatably mounting said spindle therein on a fixed axis, means rockably carried by said support and having a driving member adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a driving element of the sewing machine, operative connections between said driving member and said spindle and including a gear carried by said spindle and a gear carried by said rockably carried means and rotatable with said driving member and meshing with said first named gear, and

means for moving said rockably carried means to cause said engagement and disengagement of said driving member with respect to said driving element.

4. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine, a support, a spindle adapted to mount the bobbin, means carried by said support for rotatably mounting said spindle therein on a fixed axis, means movably carried by said support and having a driving member adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a driving element of the sewing machine, operative connections between said driving member and said spindle, and means for moving said movably carried means to cause said engagement and disengagement of said driving member with respect to said driving element and including spring tensioned means normally functioning to cause said disengagement, and means acting on said spring tensioned means to actuate the latter in a direction to cause engagement of said driving member with respect'to said driving element, and means for releasably locking said spring tensioned means against normal movement in the disengaging direction.

5. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a'sewing machine as defined in claim 4 and including means controlled by the amount of thread wound on a bobbin mounted on said spindle and functioning automatically to release said locking means to allow saidspring tensioned means to move in the disengaging direction.

6. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine, a support, a spindle adapted to mount the bobbin, means carriedby-said support for rotatably mounting said spindle therein on a fixed axis, means movably carried by said support and having a driving member adapted to be engaged with and disengaged-from a driving element of the sewing machine, operative connections between said driving member and said spindle, a movable element operatively connected with said movably carried means for moving the latter to cause said engagement and disengagement of said driving member with respect to said driving element, a spring acting on said movable element to move the same and efiect said disengagement, a manually operated element, and operative connections between said manually operated element and said movable element for efiecting movement of the movable element against the action of said spring and in a, direction to cause said engagement, said last mentioned operative connections including provision for 'releasably locking said zmovableflelement against movement under the action of said spring after said engagement has been effected.

7. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine, a support, a spindle adapted to mount the bobbin, means carried by said support for rotatably mounting said spindle therein on a fixed axis, means movably carried by saidsupport and having a driving member adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a driving element of the sewing machine, operative connections between said driving member and .said spindle, a movable element operatively connected with said movably carried means for moving the latter to cause engagement and disengagement of said driving member with respect to said driving element, a spring acting on said movable element to move the same and effect said disengagement, a manually operated element, and operative connections between said manually operated element and said movable element for effecting movement of the movable element to cause and to releasably maintain said engagement and including a cooperating pin and slot connection with said slot having an actuating portion and a locking portion.

8. In a bobbin winder mechanism for a sewing machine as defined in claim 7 and wherein there is provided means operatively interconnected with said manually operated element and contacting and moved by the thread being wound on a bobbin mounted on said spindle to move said manually operate-d element and displace said pin from the locking portion of said slot into the actuating portion thereof whereupon said spring acts on said movable element to move the same in a disengaging direction.

9. In a sewing machine, in combination, a

gooseneck having a vertical column and a horizontal arm extending from the upper end of said column, said column including a transverse partition wall, driving means for the sewing machine located exteriorly of the transverse partition wall of said column, a closure member detachably secured to said column and located outwardly of said transverse partition wall and concealing said driving means, and a bobbin winder mechanism mounted on said closure member and removable therewith as a unit and having a driving member adapted to be operatively engaged with or disengaged from said driving means when said losure member is secured to said column.

10. In a sewing machine, in combination a sewing machine head which is substantially hollow and is defined by fixed wall portions, driving means for the sewing mechanism, supported in part by said head with a portion of said means located exteriorly of the wall portions of the head, a removable closure member detachably secured to the head to conceal said portion of said driving means, and a bobbin winder mechanism mounted on said closure member and removable therewith as a unit and having a driving member adapted to operatively cooperate with said portion of said driving means when said closure member is secured to the head.

11. In a sewing machine, in combination, a bed plate, a gooseneck on said bed plate and having a vertical column and a horizontal arm extending from the upper end of said column, said column including a transverse partition wall, a shaft rotatably mounted in said arm and provided with a pulley, power means for driving the 10 Number belt drive when said closure member is secured to said column.

CHARLES E. COLEGROVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,056,829 Colegrove et a1 Oct. 6, 1936 

